Objective: To evaluate the association between three behavioural economics ‘nudges’ and store sales of promoted healthier foods.Design: Multiple interrupted time series.Setting: Two predominantly rural counties in central North Carolina, USA.Participants: Aggregated store transaction data from two grocery stores (one intervention, one control) and two convenience stores (one intervention, one control) were analysed using ANOVA to examine the association between three ‘nudges’ and store sales of promoted items. The nudges included: a ‘cognitive fatigue’ experiment, in which floor arrows guided customers to the produce sections; a ‘scarcity’ experiment, in which one sign in one area of the produce section portrayed a ‘limited amount’ message; and a ‘product placement’ experiment, where granola bars were moved into the candy bar aisle.Results: In convenience stores, there were no significant differences between sales of the promoted items during the intervention period for any of the nudges when implemented individually. However, compared with baseline sales, implementation of all three nudges simultaneously was associated with an increase in sales during the intervention period based on proportional computations (P = 0·001), whereas no significant changes in sales were observed in the control convenience store. Among the grocery stores, there were no significant differences in sales during the intervention period for any of the nudges or the combined intervention compared with baseline sales.Conclusions: Implementing three nudges concurrently in a convenience store setting may increase sales of promoted items. However, before stores consider implementing these nudges to increase sales of nutritious foods, additional research is warranted.

Parental perceptions of school meals can affect student participation and overall support for school meal policies. Little is known about parental school meal perceptions under universal free school meals (UFSM) policies. We assessed California parents' perceptions of school meals during the COVID-19 emergency response with federally funded UFSM and whether perceptions differed by race/ethnicity. Among 1110 California parents of K–12 students, most reported school meals benefit their families, saving them money (81.6%), time (79.2%), and stress (75.0%). Few reported that their child would be embarrassed to eat school meals (11.7%), but more parents of White students than Hispanic students reported this. Many parents reported that their child likes to eat lunch to be with friends (64.7%); about half felt their child has enough time to eat (54.2%). Fewer parents perceived school lunches to be of good quality (36.9%), tasty (39.6%), or healthy (44.0%). Parents of Hispanic and Asian students had less favorable perceptions of school meal quality, taste, and healthfulness than parents of White students. Parents report that school meals benefit their families, but policy efforts are needed to ensure schools have the resources needed to address cultural appropriateness. Schools should address parental perceptions of meals to optimize participation, nutrition security, and health.

To evaluate if parent perceptions of school meals influence student participation. In May 2022, an online survey was used to evaluate parents' perceptions of school meals and their children's participation. A total of 1,110 California parents of kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Student participation in school lunch and breakfast. Principal component analysis and Poisson regression models. Three groups of parental perceptions were identified: (1) positive perceptions (eg, liking school meals and thinking that they are tasty and healthy), (2) perceived benefits to families (eg, school meals save families money, time, and stress), and (3) negative (eg, concerns about the amount of sugar in school meals and stigma). More positive parental perceptions about school meals and their benefits to families were associated with greater student meal participation. In contrast, more negative parental perceptions were associated with reduced student participation in school meals (P < 0.05). Parent perceptions of school meals may affect student participation in school meal programs. Working to ensure parents are familiar with the healthfulness and quality of school meals and the efforts schools are making to provide high-quality, appealing meals may be critical for increasing school meal participation rates.

Minimum wage laws are a promising policy lever to promote health equity, but few rigorous evaluations have tested whether and how minimum wage policy affects health outcomes. This paper describes an ongoing difference-in-difference study evaluating the health effects of the 2017 Minneapolis Minimum Wage Ordinance, which incrementally increases the minimum wage to $15/hr. We present: (1) the conceptual model guiding the study including mediating mechanisms, (2) the study design, (3) baseline findings from the study, and (4) the analytic plan for the remainder of the study. This prospective study follows a cohort of 974 low-wage workers over four years to compare outcomes among low-wage workers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and those in a comparison city (Raleigh, North Carolina). Measures include height/weight, employment paystubs, two weeks of food purchase receipts, and a survey capturing data on participant demographics, health behaviors, and household [End Page 1] finances. Baseline findings offer a profile of individuals likely to be affected by minimum wage laws. While the study is ongoing, the movement to increase local and state minimum wage is currently high on the policy agenda; evidence is needed to determine what role, if any, such policies play in improving the health of those affected.

Objective: In 2018, Minneapolis began phased implementation of an ordinance to increase the local minimum wage to $15/h. We sought to determine whether the first phase of implementation was associated with changes in frequency of consumption of fruits and vegetables (F&V), whole-grain-rich foods, and foods high in added sugars among low-wage workers.Design: Natural experiment.Setting: The Wages Study is a prospective cohort study of 974 low-wage workers followed throughout the phased implementation of the ordinance (2018–2022). We used difference-in-difference analysis to compare outcomes among workers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to those in a comparison city (Raleigh, North Carolina). We assessed wages using participants’ pay stubs and dietary intake using the National Cancer Institute Dietary Screener Questionnaire.Participants: Analyses use the first two waves of Wages data (2018 (baseline), 2019) and includes 267 and 336 low-wage workers in Minneapolis and Raleigh, respectively.Results: After the first phase of implementation, wages increased in both cities, but the increase was $0·84 greater in Minneapolis (P = 0·02). However, the first phase of the policy’s implementation was not associated with changes in daily frequency of consumption of F&V (IRR = 1·03, 95 % CI: 0·86, 1·24, P = 0·73), whole-grain-rich foods (IRR = 1·23, 95 % CI: 0·89, 1·70, P = 0·20), or foods high in added sugars (IRR = 1·13, 95 % CI: 0·86, 1·47, P = 0·38) among workers in Minneapolis compared to Raleigh.Conclusions: The first phase of implementation of the Minneapolis minimum wage policy was associated with increased wages, but not with changes in dietary intake. Future research should examine whether full implementation is associated dietary changes.